Printing machine



July 28, 1931. J. KRELL PRINTING MACHINE Filed May s. 192e4 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J /fre// July 28, 1931. J. KRELL v 1,816,733

' HUNTING MACHINE Filed lay s, 1928 5 Sheets-sheet 2 July 28, 1931. J. KRELL 1,815,733

PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 8,A 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 28, 1931 Josnrn xnELL, or nE'aLIN-zanLENnoRF, GERMANY v PRINTING MAcnINn I Application mea my s, 192s,- serial No.

My invention relates to printing machines and more particularly to machines of .the

type in which an electrical control is PTO,- vided for the printing mechanlsm.

It is an'object of my invention to improve a machine/of this type and to this end lnstead of operating the selective switches of the control directly'by the printing plates I connect4 the mechanism for operatmg the switches with the drive of the machine and provide means under the control of the printing plates for locking certain switches in their closed position. A

In a preferred embodiment of my machine I providea shaft which is partly con-4 lprinting mechanism, and ing means of the machine.

troilled by the partlyby the fee The shaft extends 'across` thel contacting members of all the selective switches and in one of its final positions, locks;l` and in the other releases the contacting members. Each selective switch is provided with a detent for locking its contacting members when they are engaged with each other, and the detents are under the control of lugs on the printing plates. When the shaftreleases the contacting members they become disengaged with the exception of those that are locked by the detents..v The shaft cooperates with a principal switch which it closes when releasing the contact members and current from the switch now flows through the memberswhich are held enga-ged. At the endof a cycle the shaft is returned to initial position by a part connected with the printing mechanism.

. This involves several advantages as compared with the existing machines of this type.

The'printing plates no longer'perform any switching movements but the lselectivev switches are closed while the printing plates are fed to the printing station and are opened while the machine is moving except those which are locked in their closedposition by the printing plates. In this manner stress on the thin printing plates is eliminated and, besides, the' selective switches arenot opened and closed under current 'so that arcing is prevented which on account of the small size of the switches is rather troublesome.

kind. The machine illustrated by way of ex- 276,144, am!l in` Germany June 14, 1927.

` with, or a short time after, the completion of the feeding movement of the printing plates, and the main switch is closed simultaneously with the opening movement of the switches.

I may so time the operation, of the .selective and main switches that the selective switches are opened earlier than the .main switchis closed. v

I may provide means for controllingthe printing mechanism through the medium of the printing plates which have arri-ved at the printing vstation as it is not required 'for 70 the reasons stated to feed the printing plates with the object of operating the selective switches.

I may so design my machine that the switching levers of the several selective switches which cooperate with lugs of the printing plates are adapted to rock transversely to the feed of the printing plates so that the lugs may be arranged at one or both vsides of the plates and more space is available for the lugs than if they are arranged at the ends of the plates, as in the-existing plates. v

The means for operating the printing mechanism forms no part of the invention and may be designed as desired, for instance, 85 y means may be provided for arresting the printing arm when a plate is skipped, or a .part of the printing arm may be placed in inple, but I am not limited to machines of this m0 station in successionv by a feed slide.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a lplan view of the machine,

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II--II in Fig. 1,

Figs. 3 te5 are illustrations vof the selective switch unit, drawn to a larger scale,

Fig. 3 being an elevation viewed in the-direction of the arrow III, Fig.v 1,

Fig. 4 being a'plan view of the plate being partly broken away, and Fig. 5

being a 'plan View of the unit, ,viewed from below as indicated by the arrowV, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5a is a detail showing the left-hand end of the unit, viewed as in Fig. 5,

Figs. 6 and 7 are end elevations of "the unit,

viewed as in Fig. 2,

Fi g. 8 is an end elevation of the unit, viewed as indicatedby the arrow VIII in Fig. 1,

Figf. 9 is an elevation of. the unit, viewed as indicated by the arrow IX, Fig. 1,

Fig. 9a is a detail showing'the right-hand end of the unit as in Fig. 9,

Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are cross sections of the unit on the line X-X, Fig. 9,

Fig. 13 is a diagram of connections,

Fig. 14 is a plan view, and` Fig. 15 is an end elevation of aprinting plate.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is` the table of the machine, 2 is a guide in the table, 3ra-re printing plates"in the guide which are taken 'from a supply hopper 4, 5 is a feed slide to which reciprocation is imparted by suit-able means notshown and described,7 .is l the 'printing statin to whichthe printing plates 3 are fed-by the slide 5, 8 is a printing arm Afor printing .from the printing plate which is at the station .7 at the time, 9 .is a pin about which. the arm 8 is rocking, and 10 is a printing pad in the head of the arm 8 by which the Y paper at the printing station is forced against theprinting plate above which a ribbon is moving. The arrow -11 indicates the direction of the feed stroke of the slide 5 in which it is moving when the printing arm `is. elevated, being retracted when the arm descends.

nThe electric4 control of themachine is not` shown in detail, an electromagnet being indicated at 12. The control operates so as to print the plate 3 at the station 7 when current A is supplied to the electromagnet 12 and not to print the plate when the magnet is (without current.

13 is a switchboard having a set of 4push buttons, as many buttons being provided as there maybe different lugs on the printing plates.

Referring to Figs. 14 and 15, 14 are lugs arranged near the sides of the printing plates 3.

By way of example, I have shown Va plate hav'- -set of selective switches each arranged in a switching -compartment constituted by plates the switchingcompartments is equal tothe number of lugs 14 on the printing plates 3.

`16 and 17 areponductors `arranged in each unit,-viewed from above, with a printing-plate von top, the -1 compartment having tongues 16, 17 by which they are connected to line wires 19.

1,5 of-'insulatingf'material. The" number of 20 is a contact lever vpivoted to the conductor v 16, 22-isa contact lever pivote'd to the conductor 17, and 21 is a spring tending to hold the lever 20 engaged with the lever 22.` '16 is a,

check at the .conductor 16 which limits the stroke of the lever 20. The lever 22 is hook-` ,shaped and adapted to engage an abutment 17 of the conductor-'17, 23 is a spring tending .to hold the level-622 in its upper end position,

24 i's ablock of insulating material onthe ,l

"lever 22, 25 is the horizontal arm of a bellcrank lever which is engaged by the block 24 and fulcrumed in the plates 15,26 is the 'vertical arm ofthe bell-crank lever which ex- 'tends into-a slot 28 in the cover plate 29 of the unit A, the number of slots being equal to that of the swiching compartments. is a l" control shaft extending throughout the unit A which is crescent-shaped cross section, and lts normal posltion 1s shown in Fig. 12 in which it locks all the bellcrank levers 25, 26,

causing all contact levers 20'and 22 to engagel and to close all switches. On the outer end of the shaft 30 which projects beyond the end wan 31 of the una at the right in Fig. 9 an spring tending to move the shaft 30v so that the arm 32 assumesthe position Fig. 6. Nol.- y mally, however, thea-rm retained by a vpawl i 37 is a 'roller at the end of arm 32 which y arm 32 with a latch 33 is secured and 34 is a v projects into the path of a lug 38'on a rod139 n which adapted to reciprocatebelow the l table 1 as indicated'by the arrow 51, and is( fulcrumed to an extension 8 of the printing arm 8,Fig. 2. i

41 is an arm on the end of the shaft. 30- Vwhich projects beyond the opposite end wall of the unit A, 42, 43 are two COntactpIates `which are insulated from each other and the wall 40, Fig. 8, 42' are two brackets on the I' plateI 42, 44 is a contact spring inserted `between the 'brackets 42', 45 is a fixed contact at the contact plate 43, and 46v is acheckvfor.

the spring 44 on the plate 42.

las

When the arm 32 is in the position if -that is, locked by the lpawl 35, the lever 41 is in theposition shown indot-and-dash lines 1n. Flg. 8. y ,In this position thev two contacts 44 and 45 are disengaged, but when the arm 32 has been released and is in theposition' Fig.

Y 6 the lever 41 forces the contact spring against the contact 45 as shown in full lines in Fig. 8, and the .main switch 44, 45vis closed. Current is supplied to the twoy plates 42, 43 by tongues 42", 43".

The upper end of the pawl 35 extends into a slot inthe top plate 29 of the unit A and into the path of a pin 47 on a slide 48 extending below the guide 2 and connected with the feed slide 5 at its rear end. In its final position the slide 5 causes the pin 47 to strike the pawl and to move it so asto release. the arm 32,

Fig. 9.

eferring now to Fig.13, this diagram shows that there are as many circuits as there are selective switches. If desired the buttons 13 and the selective switches may be subdivided into several grou s or a line 'selecting device may be provi ed, not shown, so as to increase the number of combinations as to the control of the`printing machine.

The operation of my machine is as follows:

Assume that the printing arm 8 is in its' lower final position towwhich corresponds the position of the feed slide 5 shown in vdotted lines in Fig. 1. With this position of the arm and slide the arm 32 on the shaft 30 in the unit A is in the position indicated in Fig.

7 in which the pawl 35 is in the position shwn in Fig. 9a., holding the arm 32 by its latch 33. This corresponds to the posltion of the shaft 30 in Fig. 12 in which all selectiveswitches are closed, all contact levers 20, 22 beinfr in contact and the arms 26 being in the notches 28. The leve-rl 41 of the main switch is in the dot-and-dash lines position,

Fig. 8, and the main switch is consequently Vhen the printing arm 8 is raised the feed slide 5 moves in the direction of the arrow 11, Fig. 1, and pushes another printing plate '3 to the printing station 7 abovey the unit A,

it being assumed that Ythe printing plate has a single 1ug14 in the vicinity of its left edge,

and that this plate is to be printed. yThe corres ending button 13 of the switch board 13 is dlepressed, and, when the printing plate 3 is almost at the printing station and .the printing arm 8 is in its upper final posltion, the pin 47 engages the pawl 35 and moves it into the posi'tion Fig. 9. lThe consequence 1s that the latch 33 is released and the spring 34 turns the shaft 30 with its arm 32, 41, moving 'the arm 32 into the positionFig. and arm 41 into the full-lines positionl F1028, the lshaft 30 moving into the position tFig.

v.1() in the direction of the arrow 50, releasing the bell-crank levers 25, 26 and allowing all levers. 22 'to move into disengagement with Athe levers QO-under the action of their springs 23, except that bell-crank lever 'which is retained by the lug 14 of thev printing plate,

Fig. 11. In 'this manner and with the exception vspecified all selective switches are .opened and as a small rotation of the shaft 30 is suiiicient for opening the switches, the openingl will occur before the arm 4l has closed the main switchf44, 45. Wheat-he main switch closes the circuit of the selective switch which has been locked by the lug 14 is closed a't `the button 13 and the magnet 12 is energized, causing the pad-1,0 at thc printin arm 8 to move into its active position an plrinting the plate at the station 7.

When t e prin-.ing arm 8 descends the slide 5 with the rod 48'is returned into the dot-anddash lines posi'tionFi0. 1, besides the rod 39 is displaced in the direction of the arrow 51, Fig.'2, and, by the lug 38, moves the arm 32 from the position Fig. 6 into that in Fie'.

7', the latch 33 of the arm 32 forcing bac the beveled face below the tooth of the pawl` 35-which has returned toits locking posi-- tion un-der the action ofsprings 36 as soon as released by the pin 417and being caught `closed while at the same time the main switch 44, 45 is opened again.

The machine is now read for another operation. If upon the fo lowing upward `stroke of the arm 8 a printing plate 3 gets to 'the printing station 7 which it is not desired to print, all switching circuits will remain open after the arm 32 has been released by the return movement -offthe .pawl 35 under the action of the rodl 48 as the switch button in the board 13 whichcorresponds to that plate, has not been operated.

Means are provided as shownl in Figs.' 3,15, and 5a for locking the arm 32 in the position Fig. 7 in which the main switch 44, 45 is opened and all selective switches are closed. For'locking the arm 32 in this position and thereby the shaft 30,'I rovide a horizontal lever 53 at a bracket o the end wall 31 of4 ,plates equipped with lugs pastsaid mecha'- nism, a prlncipal switch under the control of said mechanism and said means, and selective switches also under, the control lof 'said mechanism and said means, circuits connected with said principal and said selective switches, and a control in the circuit of each selective switch, each selective switch including contact members, and a locking izo detent under the control of said lugs for 13 holding said members engaged independently of their control by said mechanism and said means.

2. In a printing machine having Jprinting mechanism, means for feeding printingplates equipped with lugs past said mechanism, aL

principal switch under the control of said mechanism and said means', .and selective switches also under the control of said mechanism and said means, circuits connected with said principal and said selective switches, and a control in the circuit of each selective switch, each selective switch including conv tact members, and a detent pawl arranged transversely with respect to the direction in which said printing plates are fed, said pawl being under the co-ntrol of Isaid lugs for holding said members. engaged independently -oftheir control by said mechanism and said means.

3. In a printing machine having printing switch, each selective switch including con- ,tact members adapted to be -controlled by said shaft, and a locking detent under the control of said lugs for holding said members engaged independently of their control by said shaft.

4. In a printing machine having printin mechanism, means for feeding printing plates equipped with lugs past said mechanism, a principal switch under the control of said mechanism and said means, and selective switches also under the control of said mechanism andsaid means, circuits connected with the principal and` selective switches, and a control in the circuit of each selective switch, a shaft operatively connected withsaidprintingmechanisinandsaidfeeding means to control said principal switch, means for locking said shaft in the position in which said principal switch is open, means operatively connected with said feeding means for throwing out said locking means, each selective switch including contact members adapted to be controlled by said shaft, and a locking detent under the control of said lugs for holding said members engaged independently of their control by said shaft.

5. 'In a printing machine having printing mechanism, means for feeding printing y plates equipped with lugs past said mechanism, a principal switch under the control ofL said mechanism and -said means, and selective switches also under the control of said mechanism and said means, circuits connected With said principal and said selective switches, and a control in vthe circuitiof each selective switch, fthe combination 4with said to be controlled by said shaft, and a locking detent under the control of said lugs for holding said members engaged independv ently of their'control by said shaft. y

6. In a printing machine having printing mechanism, means for feeding printing plates equipped with lugs past said mechanism, a

principal switch under the control` of said mechanism and said means, and selective switches also under the control of saidmechanism and said means, a shaft operatively connected with said printing mechanism and said feeding means toy control said principal switch, selective switches each comprising a pair of conductors, a pair of contacting levers for holding said bell-cranklever engaged with said shaft, a cam face on` said shaft adapted to engage with said bell-crank lever, means tending to hold said other contacting lever engaged with'said first-mentioned lever, and a-check` limiting the movement of said other lever toward said first-mentioned lever, circuits connected with said principal and selective switches, and a hand control in the circuit of each selectiveswitch.

7 .Y In a printing machine having printing. 'i

mechanism, means for feeding printing. plates equipped with lugs past said mechanism, a principal switch under the control of said Amechanism 'and said' means, andv selective switches also under the control of said mechanism and said means, circuits connected with `said principal and selective switches, a

control in the circuit of each selective switch, and means under the control of said lugs for holding said selective switches closed independently of their control by said mechanism and saidmeans, the combination with said principal switchof a shaft operatively connected withsaid printing mechanism and said feeding means so as to cont-rol saidswitch, means for lockingsaid shaft in a position in which said principal switch 'is open, means tending to move said shaft into the positionk in which said switch is closed, and'means operatively connected withsaid feeding means for throwing out said locking means.

8. In a'printing machinehaving printing mechanism, means for feeding printing plates equipped with lugs past said mechanism, a principal switch under the control of said mechanism and said means, and selective switches also under the control of said mechanism and said means, circuits4 connected with said principal and said selective switches, a control in the circuit of each selective switch, means under the control of said lus for holding said selective switches closed in ependently of the control by said mechanism and said means, a shaft adapted to con-l trol said principal switch, means for locking said shaft in a position in which said'prim cipal switch is open, means tending to move said switch into the position in :which said switch is closed, and means operatively connected with said feeding means forl throwing out said locking means, means associated with said printing means for returningr said shaft into the position in-Which said principal switch is open.

9. In a printing machine having printing mechanism, means for feeding printing plates equipped with lugs past said mechanism, a principal switch under the control of said mechanism and said means, and selective switches also under the control of said mech- 

